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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. land — a country
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. capital — money
  5. land — ground
  6. mate — a partner
  7. suit — clothes
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mate — a friend
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — letters
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spell — a short time
  18. squash — the sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. capital — a city
  21. land — to come down
  22. squash — to crush
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. bound — obliged

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com